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Topic Review (Newest First)

09-15-2012 03:26 PM

hinges56

Chevymon, You must be a mind reader! How did you know that I had more questions? Question on my 72 C-10 Chevy truck coming up.

09-14-2012 07:04 PM

Chevymon

Quote:

Originally Posted by hinges56

under the head is a mean star lock washer that was actually sunk into the metal.

The way those screws are recessed really gives that star washer a lot to bite with. Glad you got it done, now whats the next problem?

09-14-2012 05:31 PM

MARTINSR

Right on! I love it when a plan comes together.

Brian

09-14-2012 03:17 PM

hinges56

Once again, with everyone's help, the job gets done! Heating and cooling the head did it! I would have figured that doing this would have softened the head and then stripped out with the impact driver but not so. Also under the head is a mean star lock washer that was actually sunk into the metal. I think the the head end was more "froze up" than the thread end like I originally thought and a whole lot easier to get to. Thanks again for all the help!

09-13-2012 06:03 PM

MARTINSR

By the way, you may want to get a 3/8" "butterfly" impact.

I won't live without one of these, I have a quality one both at work and home. They "hit" as they turn breaking bolts loose. And with the butterfly you can tighten and loosen back and forth to loosen stuff up. You can turn the speed way down so they are just hitting, tap, tap, tap, tap over and over. They are AWESOME and I highly recommend picking one up.

Brian

09-13-2012 05:17 PM

MARTINSR

Heat and cool the head of the screw, did you try that?

Brian

09-13-2012 05:08 PM

hinges56

I'm not ready to give up just yet. Last night I tried a "0" tip and stuck it through the antenna hole. Heat cool, heat cool a couple times. I'll try again tonight. It seems like there is sheet metal around the nut from that angle but I'll check again tonight. I'm working on the pass. side and being right handed, it's a little awkward swinging the hammer without missing! ouch! I haven't missed yet but I did take a stupid fall when my vise grips slipped while pulling on the metal around the tail light trying to pull out a small dent! I know, that's why I called it a stupid fall! I grabbed the slide hammer after that. I did get a nice bruise where I fell into my grinder stand though. Dumb A**! Are all impact drivers created equal?

09-13-2012 12:12 AM

Chevymon

If you have access to an arc welder you could lay a large flat washer over the screw head and weld it to the head of the screw, then weld a nut to the washer. That will give way more than enough torque to get those screws out. Excellent reproduction screws are available. A mig welder might work for this, but the arc welder gives a good jolt to help break them loose.

09-13-2012 12:01 AM

crownver

Also, when you use the impact driver, put a dab of valve lap compound on the tip of the bit. Greatly increases the grip on the screw.

09-12-2012 11:43 PM

MARTINSR

By the way, the trick I have used my whole life when it comes to philips head screws, torx screws and allen bolts is to always go to the largest one until it you find the one that won't even fit in it, then go back to the one that is just smaller than that. When you do that you KNOW you have the largest. I have to say often the #3 may fit tight in it but if you went to a #4 it would blow your mind how much TIGHTER it is. You can use a #2 in a #3 screw and it "works", if it's not too tight you can unscrew it. But if it's tight you will mess it up.

I am a nut on using the proper tool, it makes a BIG difference.

For instance I will bet a dollar that very few people you know have a "Posigrip" screw driver in their box, I do. Pozidriv was used by GM for years, I will even find it on late model cars. A phillips screw driver will work. But the posigrip is SOOOOOOO much better it will blow your mind! You can stick the screw on the driver and run across the room with it in your hand and the screw won't fall off. When you stick that sucker in the screw you could put a breaker bar on it and it won't strip that screw head out.

Brian

The Posidriv is the one in the middle.

09-12-2012 11:32 PM

MARTINSR

Heating and COOLING the hot bolt is HARDENING it. This is the trick of tricks to get stubborn bolts or nuts off. I was shown this by one of my mentors over 30 years ago when I was working at a full on restoration shop specializing in Early Ford V8s. I have used it in my professional career ever since and it is the holy grail of tricks.

The nearest I can tell is that when you are heating and cooling it is expanding and contracting and the rust looses it's grip. I can't tell you how many bolts like that I have removed when I had tried like you have and once it's heated and cooled removed it by hand with a screw driver without so much as a grunt.

You don't want to get it too hot, only because if you do you are heating the surrounding area so much. But if you get that flame right down on it almost to the point of melting it you are going to heat it to near red or red pretty quickthen spray water on it with a water bottle to cool it fast. Try not to heat the surrounding area, but if you do it isn't the end of the world. What is really neat is to heat the nut or the metal that it is screwed into if you can after you have cooled it and before you try turning it out. This expands the nut releasing the bolt.

Brian

09-12-2012 10:30 PM

hinges56

I've been using a tip that fits well and spraying it with PB the best I could. I didn't know if heating the head would soften it and make it strip easier. I was even using a small sledge hammer with the impact driver. I marked them with a marker on the head and they haven't budged. I tried tightening with driver but so far, no luck. How hot do I need to get the screw before I cool it? I replaced the anchor bolts when I worked on the rusted cowls so it's just the phillips screws. Thanks for all the ideas!

09-12-2012 05:22 PM

Chevymon

Brian is right, I just checked another car and those screw threads are all in the cabin part of the car and shouldn't be rusted that bad, but the anchor bolts are another story.

09-12-2012 05:10 PM

MARTINSR

When the bolts still look this good, there is NO reason to even entertain the thought of drilling them out. That is a last resort when the hole gets rounded out and a tool won't fit it anymore. But when it looks like this, get the right tool and remove it.

It looks like it may be a #4 phillips. Using the correct driver makes all the difference in the world! Trying to get a #4 out with a #3 driver, oh heck yeah you are going to round the hole out and then yep, drill it. But with the right tool and a little patience you can get out most every one of them if they look as good as these do.

Brian

09-12-2012 04:54 PM

Chevymon

You may have to do some sheet metal cutting and if you do you might need to know what the henge consists of, although I wouldn't be worried about saving anything.

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